


Two Jagged Bones

by purrdri



Series: Spirits of Steel and Light [2]
Category: Warframe
Genre: Gen, or at least he will eventually, ordis gets a body!, warframe main quest spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-03 22:19:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16334303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purrdri/pseuds/purrdri
Summary: Cortana hatches a plan to get Ordis out of his shell, and recruits some help.





	1. some great deception

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place sometime chronologically after Chapter 4 of The War Without, my other Warframe fic. Though you don't have to read that in order to understand this, it'd help you understand Cortana.
> 
> Spoilers ahead for many of the main story quests, be warned.

Wrapped up in her Ostron blanket and held in Excalibur Umbra’s arms, Cortana dozes. The illness is almost through her system, but she is so tired. Ordis plays memories of songs for her, and she rests.

When she wakes up, it is with an idea and a clear nose.

There are two Excalibur Warframes aboard her ship. One of a basic model, and of course Umbra.

She never uses the basic model Excalibur anymore, not now that she has Umbra by her side.

And Ordis… he is stuck on this ship, never able to explore the Origin system for himself.

“Ordis, set course for Larunda relay. I’ll be taking Excalibur,” Cortana informs him.

“Excalibur Umbra? Of course,” says Ordis.

The Operator cuts him off. “Not Umbra, just Excalibur.”

The Umbra Warframe turns his head to face her, seemingly shocked. Cortana smirks at him, and confirms her plans when Ordis questions her.

Momentarily they arrive in Mercury’s orbit, and after another moment the Liset docks with the relay. Her Excalibur Warframe is mostly white, with grey accents and fluorescent blue energy.

As she makes her way in the unfamiliar Warframe down towards Simaris’ portion of the Relay, she is accosted by an equally white-grey-blue Frost Prime. She offers the Prime Warframe a courteous wave, and moves to go about her day, when suddenly the Tenno in front of her Transfers out of his Warframe.

“I can’t believe you’ve mastered enough weapons to get a rank 10 score and you’re still using a basic Excalibur,” he taunts.

Cortana Transfers out of her Warframe in kind, pointing her Amp directly at his face. “We all know Frost Prime’s components were freely available from a Void rift just last month,” she says, loudly enough to attract the attention of those around them. “Are you suggesting that a Warframe I worked hard to bond with is worth less than a Warframe you’ve had for a month,” she continues, scrolling through her portable tablet to find the Tenno’s name. “and haven’t even gotten to mastery rank 3 with yet?” She holds up her tablet to prove her point.

The Tenno gulps hard and Transfers back into his Warframe, making a hasty retreat.

The rest of her journey to Simaris’ sanctuary is brief and uneventful. She isn’t surprised when Cephalon Simaris starts the same introductory speech she’s heard him give once before to herself and many other times to countless Tenno new to his Sanctuary. Excalibur holds up a hand; Cortana Transfers out of the Warframe in a black-and-purple blur; the Warframe behind her falls limp.

“Oh. Greetings, hunter,” says Simaris. “Are you here to enlighten myself and the Sanctuary?”

Cortana smirks. “Not today, Simaris. Today I need your help.”

She gets the feeling that the Cephalon would raise an eyebrow if he could. It is rare for Cortana to want to talk to Simaris outside of picking up an occasional Synthesis target and rarer still for her to ask for his help. “What kind of assistance do you require?”

“Can we speak in private?” she asks. Again she gets the impression of a raised eyebrow. “Not aboard my ship. I need a personal favor; something that will help Ordis.”

Simaris ‘nods’ his hologram. “I will speak to you in one of the simulation rooms,” he says. The next thing Cortana is aware of is the familiar grey of a simulation, though for once she is not in a Warframe.

“Hunter! What do you need from me?” Simaris’ voice booms through the room, and his familiar orange form appears in front of her.

She sits on the floor, cross legged. “Cephalon Simaris, to the best of your knowledge, what is Transference?”

“Do you not know more than I do, hunter?” says the orange Cephalon, slightly puzzled.

“Humor me,” Cortana says quietly.

The Cephalon sighs. “Transference is the process in which a Tenno connects their mind to their Warframe,” he says, “usually aided with a Somatic Link.”

“Is it possible for a non-Tenno to transfer their consciousness to a Warframe through a Somatic Link or some other such device?” asks Cortana.

“I...am unsure,” says Simaris. “Why do you ask?”

“I want to give Ordis a body. The Excalibur Warframe I brought with me today,” she says, gesturing behind her as if she was still in the Sanctuary hall, “is what I intend for him to use. It’s a Warframe I don’t touch since I got Umbra.”

The Cephalon rolls this over in his mind for a while before letting out a mechanical laugh.

Cortana waits for him to be done. Simaris seems to get the message after a time.

“You...truly wish to transfer Cephalon Ordis’ consciousness into a body?” he asks.

The Tenno nods. “Not permanently, but… he deserves to have the option, after all he’s done.” _All he’s been through_ , she thinks silently.

In front of her, the Cephalon displays schematics. “I must admit, a physical form was something I had considered for a time. However, it was deemed an unworthy goal-you will have to put much effort into the construction of the modifications required to Ordis’ systems.”

Cortana nods thoughtfully, then pauses and looks up at Simaris. “And...what do you get out of this?”

The Cephalon laughs again. “You are more astute than I gave you credit, hunter. Should this prove to be possible, I would wish to create a physical form for myself as well. With your assistance, of course.”

Cortana nods again, determination filling her. She stands up. “Thank you for your help, Cephalon Simaris.”

“Of course, hunter. I will encrypt these files and send them to your personal inbox at once. I assume Cephalon Ordis is not to know?” Simaris inquires.

“Exactly,” says Cortana. “Can this stay between us until it’s complete?” she asks.

The Cephalon hesitates. “I cannot make any promises-”

The young Tenno cuts him off. “Just don’t tell Ordis. Or anyone. Willingly. If you’re tortured, by all means spill the beans to save your life, but Ordis shouldn’t find out about this until it works.”

“If it works.” Simaris is quick to correct her.

She rolls her eyes. “If it works.”

“Alright, hunter. It seems we have ourselves a deal.” With that, the Cephalon materializes her back in the Sanctuary, and she nods solemnly at his orange projection. “Thank you, Simaris, she says, before turning around and Transferring back into her Warframe.

When she arrives back on the Orbiter, Ordis immediately asks her what she’s been doing.

“I had personal business with Simaris,” she says to the Cephalon, pulling her portable tablet off its charging dock and heading to her personal quarters.

“May I ask what kind?” the Cephalon inquires.

Cortana smirks up at the ceiling, knowing Ordis can see her. “You can ask,” she starts.

Ordis sighs. “But you won’t answer?” he guesses.

“If all goes well, you’ll find out soon enough!” teases the Operator. Another sigh from Ordis.

She plunges herself headfirst into the project. Never has a blueprint required so many Orokin cells or control modules-an astonishing fifty of each!-and a hundred neurodes to boot, but Cortana supposes this is the most complex blueprint she’s ever attempted to build. No wonder Simaris put it off.

“Operator, why are you _HOARDING_ \- collecting so many components?” Ordis asks one day, when she’s close to her goal.

Cortana smiles at him. “Reasons!” she exclaims, then returns to working on her project.


	2. to cleanse your despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cortana calls on a friend, and Ordis figures out what she's up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa I just noticed there's a pretty obvious switch in tense but I really wanted to get this posted before I fell asleep so I could say I'd done something today :'D I'll fix it soon...

Three weeks, she’d been working on her project.

Simaris’ schematics were detailed and it amazed Cortana that this wasn’t something he’d gone through with.

The modifications that had to be made to both the Excalibur warframe and to the ship itself were extensive-the ship was made to transfer the consciousness of one mind at a time, not two. Nor was it equipped to transfer the consciousness of a Cephalon, whose wiring was so similar yet so different from a human’s own mind. Though Cortana knew a handful of people with the technical knowledge to help, there was only one she had a feeling would be discreet about all this. She didn’t want anyone else to know until it was finished.

Her name was Alisande, and she worked as an engineer for Cephalon Suda. She was smart as a whip with a wit that stung like one, too. Cortana hadn’t known Alisande for too long, but she seemed like she was capable of keeping her mouth shut. So when she’d finished hand-assembling the components Simaris’ schematics told her she would need, Cortana sent a message to Suda.

_Cephalon Suda,_

_Sorry to bother you, but I have a small electrical problem on my ship that Ordis hasn’t been able to fix-would it be possible to borrow Alisande for the day?_

The response came almost instantaneously in the form of the diminuitive Alisande herself requesting permission to board Cortana’s Orbiter. She draped herself over the Tenno’s shoulders in greeting as soon as she was let in. “Hey you,” said Alisande, short blonde hair tickling Cortana’s face as she spoke. “What do you need help with?”

Cortana’s mouth brushed against Alisande’s ear as she whispered. “Project. I’ve got an old Excalibur frame and a hunch it can be used to give Ordis a body of his own. Be quiet about it.”

Alisande pulled back from Cortana just enough to raise an eyebrow. Cortana shot her a pleading glance in response. The engineer sighed and nodded.

(As they worked, Ordis provided constant confused commentary.   
“Operator, what on Earth are you doing with that power tool?”   
“You’re _DESTROYING EVERYTHING-_ putting a hole in my hull!”  
“I hope you plan on replacing that!”)

Eventually the port was installed in her Somatic Link room, much to Ordis’ exasperation. Alisande provided some nonsense about upgrading her Ludoplex’s power supply so it could handle virtual reality games and promptly left. At the same time, Cortana pulled the Excalibur Warframe out of her arsenal and began playing with its color scheme before settling on a pale blue and white palette with black accents.

“Are your sensors pleased?” the Tenno asked her Cephalon.

“Moreso than usual!” he replied cheerily. “Ordis is particularly fond of the blue you used for the helmet. Now, will the Operator kindly tell me what you’re actually doing?”

Cortana winced. “I...never use my old Excalibur Warframe anymore, right?”

“Are you asking me a question or _STATING THE OBVIOUS?_ ” said Ordis.

A chuckle from Cortana, and then she paused. “Ordis, would… would you maybe be happier if you had a body?”

Ordis says nothing.

“I don’t want to force you,” she started, and then trailed off into silence. A minute passed. “I just know I’m happiest moving around, and…”

Behind her, Excalibur Umbra put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, just a little, not having expected the touch. Cortana realized who it was, relaxed into his hand. Understood the silent command he was sharing with her.

Another minute passes. Another. She opens her mouth; Umbra squeezes his hand.. She closes it again.

“...yes,” says Ordis, timidly, gently. “Yes, Ordis thinks...no. I think I would.”

She smiles...no, she grins.

“Is this what you’ve been doing?” he asks, and Cortana nods. She walks her Excalibur to the port, hooks a cord up to the Warframe’s neck.

“If you’re ready, Ordis, the system is too,” she says, gesturing vaguely at the Excalibur. Umbra slinks out of the room behind her; she’s too busy being caught up in her own worries to notice. There’s a heavy silence in the room.

“If you’re sure this won’t fry my systems!” says Ordis, attempting a joke. 

Cortana winces again. “I’m...not certain, this is the first full test.” She grins sheepishly at nothing in particular, then drops the grin and sighs.

“Well, Operator, I’m ready when you are,” says Ordis, and he begins counting down helpfully.

Cortana takes a deep breath and presses the button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUAHAHAHAHA I see why authors do cliffhangers now.
> 
> (jk everything's fine I promise nothing goes wrong)

**Author's Note:**

> I have told exactly three of my friends (coincidentally they're the only three people I know who play Warframe) that I was writing Warframe fic. Friend one immediately assumed it was porn and scooted away from me. Friend two supported me wholeheartedly. And friend three said 'you better put me in there somewhere' so now he's Frost Prime Guy. :D
> 
> If you enjoyed this fic so far or want to scream at me about Warframe, drop me a line-my Tumblr is purrdri and my Warframe tumblr is starboundcortana! If you want to play Warframe with me, my IGN is OfficialEspurr and I'd love if you sent me a friend request because having friends makes me feel special. ovo
> 
> Fic updates from me are generally few and far between but I am still working on this!


End file.
